Review: Boardroom M by Gretchen Kirkpatrick

A slow-burning thriller peppered with bursts of violence and brilliant turns of phrase, Boardroom M is the whip-smart opening salvo of author Gretchen Kirkpatrick’s Agents and Assets series.

Misha is a CIA operative whose foundations are shaken after an attempt on her life, sending her spiraling into the heart of a conspiracy to bring down the CIA that criss-crosses the world. Relying on a handful of temporary allies and other tradecraft experts, as well as the tangled histories that accompany them, she must juggle multiple mysteries to keep herself alive, and save the ones she loves. Rich with plot twists and colorfully drawn characters, this story is a well-balanced blend of subtle scheming and heart-pounding action.

Told with the casual intensity of Elmore Leonard, this endlessly cool thriller is both patient and passionate. Misha isn’t framed as a super-spy, but rather a normal person with an extraordinary job trying to juggle all of life’s wild weights – best friends, unexpected betrayals, and crises of faith, to name a few.

Kirkpatrick navigates these shadowy worlds with an authentic voice that makes the story immersive and believable. Despite the dizzying stakes and blockbuster villains, the carefully crafted plot never becomes a caricature of the genre. The story is propelled by its strong and original central character; she is a flawed and relatable lead, and her inner monologue narration supports that, casting her as smart, vulnerable, and deeply human.

That being said, some of the internal asides make the narration come across heavy-handed, as though Kirkpatrick is cutting a corner to bring readers up to speed. Forced narration such as – Suddenly there was a question in her mind— had she missed something about her friend? – can undermine the clear skill of the author.

Some of the weaker points in the novel are also found in conversations, primarily in procedural dialogue that appears solely designed to progress the plot. These sections veer away from the organic flow that dominates most of this impressively polished novel. The repartee between most of the characters – Jeff and Misha, in particular – is clever and engaging, keeping the pace perpetually high, which far outweighs these low points. Truly, this novel is close to being perfect, and feels like it needs another run-through to ensure that the great moments in the writing properly shine.

Overall, Kirkpatrick’s descriptive skills are razor sharp, with pop culture allusions aplenty, and a keen eye for landscape details, from the hotspots of San Francisco to the bathhouses of Kyoto. Artfully spanning the globe, while filling in the gaps with witty dialogue and a fair bit of romance, this book is generally a pleasure to read, like a minimalist version of Tom Robbins. Fans of the “Killing Eve” series will not be disappointed either.

The ending of this riveting novel leaves plenty of room for future adventures, and with a complex, self-reflective protagonist at the helm, Kirkpatrick’s Agents and Assets series has a lot of promise. Some of the plot points in this installment do feel overly convenient, and some suspension of disbelief is required, but for a smart, modern-day spy novel with a classic edge, Boardroom M is highly recommended.